Scarlette
When you live in a fake world, it is difficult to recognize anything real.
Take for example, my high school. At Royal Elite Academy, everyone here pretends to be someone or something they are not. We are all wealthy through our parents; of course. However, that doesn’t change the way over half of the population act as though they are better than everyone around them. Walking through the halls of the prestigious private school, Royal Elite Academy, I inhale a deep breath. My nerves go wild as I hold my laptop close to my chest and adjust my backpack on my shoulder. The pristine white walls feel sterile and uninviting. The world around me feels like it is spinning out of control and I am lost in this abyss that I will never escape from.
“Hey, move,” someone growls out, shoving my shoulder as they walk past me.
I mutter an, “I’m sorry,” as I side-step out of the way.
It’s too late, though. All I can do is watch as though in slow motion; the Elite walk past me. Gabby, Talon, Micah, and Ason glide down the hallway like they are walking on air. The girl who had pushed me, now stands beside me, her mouth opens wide as she stares their way. Everyone parts for them, no one daring to get in the way of the schools most notorious group of friends.
No one dares to speak to the Elite without being spoken to first. It’s been that way forever it seems. The air around them shifts, almost growing too heavy to breathe. They are all so strikingly beautiful that it is almost painful to look at them. The hype is in full swing today since it’s the first day back from Spring Break of school of our senior year. Over the break, the Elites had vacationed away from Savannah and hadn’t been seen until now. Everyone speculated where they had gone—of course, together—but no one really knew where they went. It was always a secret, for their protection, I guess.
Ason turns my way, and I drop my head. Refusing to look his way, I hold my breath until I feel the crowd begin moving again. It’s been this way forever. Even in kindergarten, we all recognized the difference between the real Elite and the rest of us. Yes, we were all wealthy as our families afford us the privilege of attending an elite private school in downtown Savannah, Georgia. However, there was always something different about them. Magical almost. We all felt the differences. The power they held and still hold even to this day. They run this school and we all allow it.
“Scarlette, wait up,” I hear from behind me.
I turn in time to see my best friend, Macy, running down the long, white hallway. Her black heels click against the shinning floor as she hurries toward me. I stop walking and wait.
“Hey,” I say, once she catches up to me.
“I saw the Elite walk past you,” she says, quirking her eyebrows.
Handing me a steaming cup of coffee, Macy and I begin to walk toward our lockers. I take a sip of the liquid gold and sigh. She must have picked it up from the school coffee cart.
“Yeah, and the whole school bowed down to them,” I jested, rolling my eyes.
Macy shook her head, causing her long, wavy blonde hair to sway all around her face. “Don’t you ever wish you could be one of them?” she asked, smiling a little.
We opened our lockers, grabbing our books for the day. I hesitated and took much longer than needed to get all of my things organized. I hated how everyone wanted to be part of the Elite’s circle. It was like a coveted society that everyone desperately desired to be part of. Only, none of us had really ever had a chance. I mean, the Ason, Talon, and Micah got any girl they wanted, but as for really being friends with them—none of us had ever stood a chance.
You had to be part of their world. A world filled with dark rumors and dangerous lifestyles. Maybe that was the real fascination with them all. They were so elusive that it made us all want a piece of them.
Well, everyone but me. While everyone around us had craved to even be talked to by the Elite, I had always kept my distance. Being popular wasn’t as important to me as it was to most of my peers. I wanted to get out of Savannah and start a life far away from this world.
Shaking my head, I slammed my locker closed. “No. There is nothing about their lives that I want,” I say a little too bitterly.
Macy gawks at me as she falls in stride next to me. We walk toward our first class of the day—English. She has always envied the popularity of the Elites, while I have never seen the real appeal of them. I mean, don’t get me wrong. They are all beautiful, but other than that, there really isn’t anything special about them.
As we walk into our classroom, we make our way down the aisles until we find our seats in the middle of the room. Sliding into my chair, I begin gathering my things for class. Macy sits down next to me and leans over.
“It’s our senior year. We need to at least go to a party this year,” she whispers to me.
Macy has always wanted to be part of the popular crowds. She had friends and always went to parties, but I never went with her. She’s begged me for years to try and fit in with our peers, but I just didn’t care. We only had one year left and then I would more than likely never see them again. My plans were to get out Savannah and travel the world as a teacher. I’ve already applied to Emory University and a few other schools, but Emory is where I really want to go. Growing up, I was always lonely. As an only child I found myself in the company of nannies and maids, more than my parents. I guess I found friendships with characters in the books I would read and that seemed to suffice any needs I had. Macy would come over and play with me when we were children, and I guess I never understood why she was my friend.
With her long, blonde hair, dazzling blue eyes, and legs for days, she was beautiful and attracted the attention of guys everywhere. I was plain with brown hair, dark eyes, and a small frame that helped me blend in with the crowds. I didn’t stick out and I was forever grateful for that.
Sighing, I blew a loose strand of hair out of my face. “Macy, you know that isn’t my scene,” I replied.
“Nothing is your scene,” she jested, rolling her eyes.
I knew that I could exasperate Macy, but she still loved me anyway.
“Then you know that I don’t go to parties,” I smirked.
“You are so frustrating,” she laughed, leaning back in her chair.
I allowed a slight giggle to escape from my lips but then I snapped my mouth shut when I felt a pair of eyes staring right at me.